Device for removal of tar and other deleterious substances from tobacco smoke



Oct. 4, 1960 H. A. LEBERT 2,954,781

DEVICE FOR REMOVAL OF TAR AND OTHER DELETERIOUS SUBSTANCES FROM TOBACCO SMOKE Filed Jan. 23, 1958 Fatented Oct. 4, 1960 1,954,781 nEVICE For: REMOVAL OF TAR- ANnorHER ]S)ELETERIUS SUBSTANCES FROM TOBACCO MOKE Herbert A. Lebert, Millbrae, Califi, assignor to Mac- Farland, Aveyard & Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 23, 1958, Ser. No. 710,781

"3 Claims. (Cl. 131-187) This invention relates to the removal of tar and other deleterious substances from tobacco smoke and particularly to an orifice and impingement barrier combination for the removal of tars, resins, and other harmful substances in the smoke. In the following description, such harmful substances will be referred to for convenience as tars.

In the past, many devices have been proposed for the treatment of tobacco smoke and for the elimination of portions or fractions of component parts of thesmoke therefrom. The removal of tars has posed a serious problem because of their known harmful effects to health. Screens and orifice-equipped disks have been proposed, the effective opening for the flow of smoke being quite minute, but while some tar is removed in the operation of such devices, a satisfying flow of smoke is not obtained. Furthermore, a sufiicient proportion of the tars are not removed.

The present structure or tar filter device fundamentally diifers from previous types of tar filter devices by obtaining tar separation by means of providing a structure adapted to cause tar separation by impingement of high velocity tar ladened smoke against an impingement barrier. Certain of the aforementioned patented cooling devices bring about a peripheral cooling of the smoke but allow substantial core portions of the tars to pass on to the smoker. According to certain principles of the present invention, the entire cross-section of the smoke stream is subject to the action of the impingement barrier so that tars and the like are removed by high velocity smoke impingement against the barrier. Tests tend to indicate the present new technique is far more eifective than any previously known tar filtering device in efiectively removing tars and especially the more dangerous high temperature tars from tobacco smoke while at the same time enabling the smoker to obtain a pleasurable smoke without a hard draw.

The results of research by independent experts in this field tend to indicate that the tars extracted from the lower temperature-burning ranges (560 to 720 C.) produce few or no cancers. The number of cancers increased sharply through the use of tar taken from tobacco burning from the higher temperature ranges (720-880 C.). Tests have also shown that a cigarette burns between 800 to 880 C. so that the more dangerous high temperature tars are presently being inhaled by the cigarette smokers. (See Time magazine, April 22, 1957, page 50).

Early experiments indicate that where the velocity expansion cooling principle is used to obtain tar separation, a relatively low percentage of the high temperature tars are separated out of the smoke as opposed to the use of the instant relationship involving high velocity tobacco smoke impingement without expansion wherein a relatively high percentage of high temperature tars are separated.

In the application of this new technique, manufacturing advantages are present since structures of this type are far more compact than those using the velocity-expansion principle where a relatively large chamber is required for condensing the smoke.

It has been found that there a practical dimensional range with regard to the size of the orifice and its distance from the barrier. If the orifice is too small the smoker is inconvenienced through his difiiculty indrawing the smoke through the device, and if the orifice is too large, the velocity of the smoke passing through the device is reduced in a manner whereby the percentage of tar separation is materially reduced. If the gap between the orifice and the barrier is too great or too small the percentage of tar separation or the rate of tar flow is adversely effected. In this respect, the impingement barrier is almost in contact with the orifice with there being just enough clearance to allow the formed relatively viscous tar to flow out of the path of the tar subsequently formed. There is no expansion space or condensing surface as in the above patents required here for tar separation from the smoke.

By using an orifice with a .028 to .030" diameter and a distance between the impingement barrier and the orifice of A to A the best results are obtainable. In other words, by constructing a device incorporating the above dimensional range, the smoker may have a more pleasurable easy draw smoke with the high percentage removal of the tars including the more dangerous high temperature tar. Early tests of structure utilizing this principle tend to indicate that at least 40% of the tars may be removed. This 40% represents nearly of the high temperature tars the low temperature aromatic fractions or tars are passed on to the smoker.

Accordingly, a very important object of the present invention is to provide means for the tar removal from tobacco smoke through the use of an impingement barrier employed at a spaced and efiective distance from a venturi orifice or a small orifice which causes the smoke to flow at a sufficient velocity to cause separation of the tar as the smoke strikes the impingement barrier.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multipart cigarette structure having novel means for separating tars including a high percentage of high temperature tars from tobacco smoke while at the same time allowing the smoke to be drawn through the cigarette holder without great difficulty enabling a smoker to obtain a pleasurable smoke without the danger attendant with the drawing of the high temperature tars into the body and lungs of the smoker.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multipart cigarette holder structure which is easy to clean by readily separating the parts, and which structure may be manufactured on a large production basis at an economical cost.

A further object of this invention is to provide an insert having new and improved structure for separating tars from tobacco smoke which insert is adapted for use in a tobacco burning smoking structure.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a highly compact structure for separating the tar from tobacco smoke.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved method of separating tar from tobacco smoke.

Other objects and features of the present invention will more fully become apparent in view of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating therein a single embodiment and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a multi-part cigarette holder structure carrying a cigarette and which holder structure has tar separation structure according to the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged exploded View of the multipart cigarette holder structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view Q taken substantially along the line IIIIII on Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line IVIV on Figure 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line V-'V on Figure 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The reference numeral designates generally my multi-part cigarette holder and filter structure which supports a cigarette 11 at one end thereof.

The structure 10 includes a mouthpiece 12 at one end, and a socket portion at the opposite end having a thimble or cap-like insert 13. The mouthpiece may be made from any suitable materials although I have-found that excellent results may be attained through the manufacture of the mouthpiece 12 from a suitable plastic, such as thermo-plastic, a suitable composition, or any other suitable material. The cap-like insert or dished structure 13 may be manufactured from any suitable material also.

The mouthpiece 12 has a central smoke and insert seating passage 14 defined by an elongated wall portion or smoke passage portion 14a and an enlarged wall portion or smoke and insert seating passage portion 14b and with the insert 13. telescoped internally of the enlarged passage portion 14b having peripheral surface areas frictionally engaged with the wall portion 14b at 15. In addition, the insert 13 has a terminal enlarged diameter flange portion 16 which is in bottomed engagement against the mouthpiece 12 as indicated at 17.

As mentioned above the insert is cupped or thimble shaped having a central smokable article receiving socket recess chamber 18 and including a flared mouth end 19 for aiding in the telescoping of the cigarette therein. The chamber 18 is of varying diameter along the length including larger and smaller diameter chamber areas or chamber walls 18a and 18b with an axially outwardly facing peaked annular shoulder 180 at their junction. The butt end portion of the cigarette 11 is telescoped within the recess chamber portion 18b and abutted against the shoulder 180 as well as being frictionally engaged with the chamber wall 13b to secure the cigarette in assembly with the cigarette holder structure.

The butt end of the cigarette is disposed longitudinally spaced from the bottom of the dished insert indicated at 13a with the smoke collection chamber recess 18a being disposed therebetween. passages 20 and 21 are disposed radially outwardly of and lead as a passageway in the wall of the holder from the smoke chamber recess 18a and are in communication 7 with one another. The socket insert 13 has a limited radially inwardly dished outer peripheral wall area 22 with the insert being cooperable with the elongated wall portion 14b to define the axial or longitudinal passage 21.

Disposed between the dished wall area 22 and the forward end of thesocket member 13 is a dished groove 23 in the internal Wall 1811 defining an orifice recess 24 including a diagonally extending partition wall 25 spaced radially from the wrapper 11b of the cigarette and hav ing therethrough a venturi orifice 26 by which smoke leaves the axial pass-age 21 and'is accelerated to discharge at high speed to impinge againstthe wrapper 11b and deposit tars and deleterious substances thereon. In this instance, the groove 23 providing the orifice'recess extends circumferentially about the cigarette butt and connects about 180 from the orifice 26 with an axial walled passageway 27 defined in the wall of the holder between the outer periphery of the socket insert 13 and the wall extension portion 14b of the mouthpiece 12; It will be observed that the passageway 27 leads from the orifice recess-27 and communicates with the smoke passage 14a.

The cigarette 11 includes tobacco 11a and tobacco Radial and axial smoke tars, etc.

' pa er.

paper 111) which tobacco paper at the area confronting the venturi passageway 26 functions as an impingement barrier for the removal of tars by virtue of the high velocity impact of the smoke streams directed thereagainst.

As heretofore stated, the problem presented has been one of providing suflicient smoke How to satisfy the smoker while at the same time removing the deleterious In the structure of the present invention, this result is achieved by employing an impingement barrier in combinationwith an orifice which greatly increases the velocity of the smoke stream so that when the stream strikes the barrier, thetar is lodged and collected upon the peripheral" surface of the barrier and in the chamber area 24 and the resultingpurified smoke alters its course through the passageways 23 and 27 and passes on to the smoker through the mouthpiece. While there will be variations in the size of the venturi orifice, and in the spacing of the barrier from the outlet of the orifice, depending upon the character of the smoke, the density of the cigarette mass, etc., I find that in general efiective results are obtained where the orifice diameter is from .025 to .038 (square inch area of .0005 to .001). Very satisfactory results have been obtained where the orifice diameter is .028 to .032 (.0006 to .0008 square inch). As a preferred example, I have employed effectively an orifice having a diameter of 0.030 (.0007 square inch), which gives excellent tar removal and ease of drawing.

The critical orifice size is correlated with the impingement-barrier which is located as close as possible to the orifice or venturi outlet consistent with the free flowing of the collected tars; e.g., without impairing the flowing of the tar away from the point of impingement. In practice, I have found that a satisfactory range is a distance of 4 to 7 of'an inch, or about .03 to .187 of an inch. A still more satisfactory range lies between to of an inch. A preferred distance is .030 of an inch.

in the specific example referred to, the barrier is spaced from the orifice outlet by of an inch (.030 of an inch), or approximately the orifice diameter.

The operation resulting from the structure shown herein is in contrast to the operation of cooling devices heretofore employed with cigarettes. Such cooling devices bring about a peripheral cooling of the smoke but allow substantial core portions of the tars to pass on to the smoker. In my structure, the entire cross section of the smoke stream is subiect to the action of the impingement barrier so that the tars and other harmful particles are removed by the foregoing high velocity impingement action upon the barrier.

The barrier is presently illustrated as a paper which I While being relatively porous nevertheless holds the tars as the smoke is directed at high velocity against the The slight spacing between the outlet of the orifice and the barrier enables the smoke stream to reach the barrierwith substantially undiminished speed, while at the same time enabling the purified smoke to change direction and more circumferentially about the periphery of the cigarette whereas tar fractions, by reason of their high inertia, can not change direction and therefore deposit on the firstsurface contrasted. By virtue of the venturi passageway 26 being disposed at an acute angle relative to the barrier 11b, the tars deposited thereon aremoved away from the passage to the far end of the reservoir 24 by the high velocity smoke.

The passage or orifice is effective in greatly increasing the velocity of the smoke so that it is substantially in excess of feet per second. If more than one orifice is used the total square inch area should fall within the range given. Of course, the velocity will vary considerably with dilferent smokers and with cigarettes of varying degrees of density. By spacing the barrier close to p the outlet of the orifice, the attained high velocity is effective in lodging the tar fractions directly upon the barrier wall where an impervious barrier is employed, and

further, such high velocity is effective, in the case of the solid barrier wall, in moving the viscous tar along the barrier face to an unobstructing position in the sump or reservoir space. The space between orifice outlet and impingement barrier may be from 0.01 to 0.187". In the preferred structure, the spacing is about .030.

In operation, upon the smoker applying a suction force on the mouthpiece 12, smoke is drawn through the ignited cigarette into the smoke collection chamber 18a with the smoke then being moved radially outwardly through the passage 20 and then axially forwardly of the cigarette through the passage 21 and then diagonally through the venturi passageway 26. A high velocity smoke stream is formed as the smoke is drawn through the reduced passage 26 and the smoke stream is impinged against the barrier or cigarette paper 11b leaving the tars T. The smoke stream is then deflected circumferentially in opposite directions away from the point of impact dividing the stream into substreams which are flowed in semicircles and are merged at a reduced passageway 28 opening outwardly of the insert 13 which passageway 28 is longitudinally spaced from the venturi passageway 26 approximately 180 on the opposite side i of the insert so that tars collected at the barrier will not interfere with the passage of the smoke through the insert 13. The smoke stream then passes through the axial passage 27 and then out through the passage 14 in the mouthpiece into the mouth of the smoker.

To clean the insert 13, the insert may be grasped at the enlarged end 16 and pulled away from the mouthpiece 12 and a cloth may be inserted into the annular groove 23 to collect any tars that remain in the tar collection chamber 24. It will be appreciated that a considerable amount of the tar will be removed from the filter structure when the cigarette 11 is removed after being smoked from the insert 13. As the cigarette 11 is drawn away from the insert tars collected in the sump 24 will be smeared along the paper surface of the cigarette and will have a tendency to adhere thereto and be reremoved with the cigarette.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be elfected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a holder for removal of tar and other deleterious substances from tobacco smoke and including a socket portion at one end and a mouthpiece at the opposite end, the mouthpiece having a smoke passage therethrough, the socket portion having a socket recess closed at one end and of a depth to receive a substantial butt end length of a tobacco filled and wrapped smokable article having its opposite end lighted, said socket portion having a smoke-conducting passageway in the Wall of the holder leading from the inner end portion of said socket and in direct communication with a smoke-accelerating orifice located to discharge smoke into the socket at a point spaced from its open end, the discharge terminal of the orifice being disposed in the wall of an orifice recess, said wall being radially spaced from the wrapper of the smokable article, the holder further having a walled passageway leading from the orifice recess and communicating with said smoke passage of the mouthpiece, whereby drawing upon said mouthpiece during smoking causes smoke to be drawn from the lighted end of the article and therethrough into said socket recess and through said first mentioned socket portion passageway and said orifice to impinge against the Wrapper of the smokable article and deposit tars and deleterious substances thereon and then pass from said orifice recess through said further passageway to and through said mouthpiece passage.

2. In a holder for removal of tar and other deleterious substances from tobacco smoke and including a socket portion at one end and a mouthpiece at the opposite end, the mouthpiece having a smoke passage therethrough, the socket portion having a socket recess closed at one end and of a depth to receive a substantial butt end length of a tobacco filled and wrapped smokable article having its opposite end lighted, said socket portion having a smoke-conducting passageway in the wall of the holder leading from the inner end portion of said socket and in direct communication with 'a smoke-accelerating orifice having a cross-sectional flow area of .0005 to .001 sq. in. and located to discharge smoke into the socket at a point spaced from its open end, the discharge terminal of the orifice being disposed in the wall of an orifice recess, said wall being radially spaced from the wrapper of the smokable article to maintain a spacing of the discharge end of the orifice of about .03 to .187 inch from the confronting portion of the wrapper serving as an impingement barrier, the holder further having a walled passageway leading from the orifice recess and communicating with said smoke passage of the mouthpiece, whereby drawing upon said mouthpiece during smoking causes smoke to be drawn from the lighted end of the article and therethrough into said socket recess and through said first mentioned socket portion passageway and said orifice to impinge against the wrapper of the smokable article and deposit tars and deleterious substances thereon and then pass from said orifice recess through said further passageway to and through said mouthpiece passage.

3. In a holder for removal of tar and other deleterious substances from tobacco smoke and including a socket portion at one end and a mouthpiece at the opposite end, the mouthpiece having a smoke passage therethrough, the socket portion comprising a forward enlargement of the smoke passage of the mouthpiece and a thimble insert member removably fitted therein and having a socket recess closed at one end and of a depth to receive a substantial butt end length of a tobacco filled and wrapped smokable article having its opposite end lighted, said insert thimble and the part of the mouthpiece engaged thereabout having a smoke-conducting passageway therebetween leading from the inner end of said socket recess and being in direct communication with a smoke-accelerating orifice extending through a partition wall on said thimble insert member separating said passageway from an orifice recess in the internal wall of said thimble insert member defining said socket recess, said partition wall being generally radially spaced from the wrapper of the smokable article, said thimble insert member and the part of the mouthpiece engaged thereabout further having a walled passageway leading from the orifice recess and communicating with said smoke passage of the mouthpiece, whereby drawing upon said mouthpiece during smoking causes smoke to be drawn from the lighted end of the article and therethrough into said socket recess and through said first mentioned socket portion passageway and said orifice to impinge against the wrapper of the smokable article and deposit tars and deleterious substances thereon and then pass from said orifice recess through said further passageway to and through said mouthpiece passage.

, References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,511,898 Brothers June 20, 1950 2,764,513 Brothers Sept. 25, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 387,707 Great Britain Feb. 13, 1933 760,772 Great Britain Nov. 7, 1956 

